


Secret Santa

by Inell



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Post-War, Romance, The Quidditch Pitch: Eternity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-13
Updated: 2006-08-13
Packaged: 2018-10-26 07:22:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10782204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inell/pseuds/Inell
Summary: Hermione has a Secret Santa





	Secret Santa

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).

  
Author's notes: For [](http://firei.livejournal.com/profile)[**firei**](http://firei.livejournal.com/) and [](http://zaralya.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://zaralya.livejournal.com/)**zaralya**. Happy holidays!  


* * *

Hermione held the package close to her chest as she stormed through the office, thankful that everyone was already gone for the day so there were no witnesses to her display of temper. His office door was open, of course. She walked inside without waiting for an invitation and glared at him.

He was leaning back in his chair with his feet on his desk, his hands behind his head, and a smirk on his lips. “Granger, how lovely to see you,” he drawled lazily. “I would express surprise that you’re still here but I’m not at all shocked to find you here an hour after work is over. You really should consider getting a hobby.”

“Yes, well, you’re still here so perhaps we can forego the witty barbs about not having lives outside of work,” she told him as she slammed the box on his desk and sat down.

“A present? You really shouldn’t have, Granger,” he said mockingly as he arched a dark brow and looked from the box to her. “And I’ll have you know that, unlike you, I do happen to have a life. You know what that is, don’t you? I sometimes wonder as you seem to lack one outside of work. What will it be this evening, Granger, out of the office at nine and home to an empty flat and frozen food? Or will you be daring and get take-away?”

“Shut up, Zabini,” she said as she met his gaze without flinching. Everything he said was true, of course, but she’d never give him the satisfaction of acknowledging it. “You know what’s in that box, you git.”

“Contrary to what you may think, I’m not clairvoyant. Hated Divination, actually,” Blaise mused as he continued to smirk at her. “Why don’t you tell me what’s in the box and then I can properly retaliate against your passionate accusations. I must say that you look very fetching when you’re annoyed, Granger.”

Hermione rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair as she studied Zabini. He was too good-looking, she decided crossly; dark eyes, dark skin, full lips, an easy confidence that should have been obnoxious instead of sexy, and the ability to charm any client effortlessly. He made the company money selling the potions she invented. He was one of the only people she was forced to work with closely and he’d delighted in making her life hell since he’d been hired late last year.

“I know you’re my Secret Santa, you bloody prat,” she informed him matter-of-factly, ignoring his blatant attempt at charming her. “If you continue to send me such inappropriate gifts, I’ll demonstrate some lesser known hexes for you personally.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Granger,” he said smoothly. He didn’t bother to lean forward to pick up the box. Instead, he languidly raised his wand and summoned it. “ _Accio_ box.”

“You’re lying. Only you would send me such things, Zabini. Trying to use Secret Santa for some silly plot to embarrass me is low even for you,” she muttered as she watched his fingers toy with the lid of the box. She blushed when she recalled the skimpy item in the box and couldn’t believe he’d have the audacity to send her such a thing.

Today’s gift had been the final straw. She’d gaped when her first gift arrived, some sort of lotion that heated skin and was certainly not intended to be used without a partner. She’d glared when the second gift arrived, a blindfold and gag that got tossed into a drawer with the lotion. She’d sputtered when she received the third gift, a copy of the Kama Sutra with certain pages and positions marked. Today’s gift, though, had her blushing as she’d removed the scraps of fabric, a gorgeous deep burgundy that was one of her favorite colors, and discovered black silk stockings beneath the corset and barely there knickers.

By the end of the day, she was absolutely seething and knew it was time to confront him so his little joke could end. All the gifts were tossed into the box and she came upstairs from her lab as soon as she’d finished her work for the day. She’d known he’d still be in his office. He could say what he wanted, but Zabini put in nearly as many hours as she did and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d left without finding him in the lift or near the Apparation point.

Despite the awareness and tension that seemed to always be there between them, at least on her part, she actually didn’t mind him that much. He was a capable verbal sparring partner, worked hard, was good at his job, and he always defended his opinions even if she thought he was always wrong. It was somewhat infuriating that she was attracted to him, but she was nearly thirty and single and he was handsome and intelligence so she wasn’t too surprised he appeared in her fantasies sometimes. All right, quite often.

“While I know I’m devastatingly attractive, you can stop staring any time now, Granger,” he said with a hint of amusement. “I’ve been speaking to you for the last five minutes but you’re too busy ogling me to listen.”

“I am not ogling you, Zabini,” she retorted. “I could care less what you have to say unless it consists of a confession for sending me those gifts and an apology for trying to use the company teamwork program to humiliate me.”

“I must admit that I’m quite intrigued now,” he confessed as he studied her a moment too long and then glanced down at the box. “Whatever is it that I’ve allegedly bought for you that would cause that attractive blush?”

“Allegedly my arse,” she murmured as she watched him remove the lid of the box. It took her less than five seconds to realize she’d definitely made a mistake in confronting him like this. He removed the blindfold and smirked as he made a great show of examining it.

“Perhaps your Secret Santa is merely concerned that you’re not getting enough sleep, Granger,” he mused as his gaze met hers. “You do consistently have those dark circles beneath your eyes. While I may find them oddly cute, many others might find them less attractive. I see nothing humiliating about this gift.”

“Oh yes. I’m sure my _Secret Santa_ was worried about my lack of sleep,” she said as she snorted.

“Ah, now this I understand,” he told her as he removed the gag. He grinned as he traced one dark finger over the material and tapped the ball in the middle. “Your Secret Santa obviously knows that talking so much can tire you out and cause unnecessary stress. It’s simply another relaxation item.”

“I wonder why I didn’t think of that?” she asked wide-eyed before she glared. “I do not talk too much nor do I need a bloody gag to help me relax.”

“You’ve obviously never experienced the full effect of being blindfolded and gagged, Granger. I’ve heard it can be quite _relaxing_ ,” he informed her casually before he set the gag on his desk. Next was the bottle of lotion, which he opened and sniffed. “This smells nice. A perfect blend of cinnamon and vanilla. It smells a bit like you, doesn’t it? I think your Secret Santa has just proven a knowledge on the scents you seem to prefer wearing. How is that humiliating?”

“It’s what it’s used for, you prat!”

“Granger, what a filthy mind you have!” He clucked his tongue and put some of the lotion on his finger. Before she realized his intention, he reached across his desk and caught her hand. He slowly moved his finger over her palm in lazy circles as their eyes met. “Is it working, Granger?”

She blinked at him and nervously licked her lips as her palm tingled and her skin began to warm. His gaze glanced down at her lips and she shuddered slightly as his finger brushed across the sensitive flesh of her inner wrist. She didn’t trust herself to speak so she nodded once, letting him know the lotion was working but also telling him that whatever game he was playing was working despite her attempts to resist.

He dropped her hand and looked flustered for a moment before he quickly recovered and looked back at the box. The book was next and she was pleased to notice that his hands shook slightly as he flipped it open to several of the mark pages. “Your Secret Santa obviously knows that you love to learn. It appears pages have even been noted for areas that may interest you more than others.”

“It’s a shame I already own the book,” she said innocently giving him a demure smile when he looked at her. “I do love research, Zabini. Surely that doesn’t surprise you?”

“You always surprise me, Granger,” he acknowledged with a slight grin before he put the book down. “Well, I imagine your Secret Santa secretly hoped you might enjoy learning from this text with a partner, a very willing partner.”

“I wonder if my Secret Santa happened to have anyone in particular in mind.” She grew thoughtful. “Perhaps David from Accounting? He seems like he might be a good study buddy.”

“Don’t even think about it, Granger,” he warned lowly as he looked away and reached back into the box.

The corset looked gorgeous against his dark skin and Hermione shifted in her chair as the tension between them became something almost tangible. She was aroused, her earlier anger turning into lust as she watched him, and she actually whimpered as his fingers brushed over the crotch of the knickers.

“Your Secret Santa,” he started before he cleared his throat and leaned forward, “obviously knows your favorite color and is aware how this color would look against your pale skin. Your Secret Santa has probably spent the last sixteen months thinking about you wearing this and how it would look on the floor by the bed.”

“My Secret Santa is obviously not as confident and take-charge as I thought if he’s waited sixteen months,” she told him as their gazes met again. “He’s also not as smart as I thought if he didn’t realize he could have had me for the last fourteen without the inappropriate gifts.”

“Maybe your Secret Santa knew it would take time before it was more than just lust and rather enjoys the seduction,” he replied smugly.

“Perhaps my Secret Santa won’t be so smug when he finds out the stockings are the wrong size,” she said as she watched him fondle the black silk.

“Who said that wasn’t deliberate?” he asked casually as he wrapped one around his wrist and tugged. “I think your Secret Santa knew how gorgeous the black would look when it was wrapped around your wrist tying you to the bed.”

“Za---Blaise,” she whimpered softly, uncertain what he wanted even as she realized it wasn’t just a game to him.

“You know, when Masterson first suggested this silly Muggle holiday exchange, I thought it was bloody ridiculous,” he told her honestly. “I was going to refuse to participate. Then I received my recipient and couldn’t resist.”

“So you used it to seduce me,” she accused even as she started to smile.

“Hermione, this insistent belief that I’m your Secret Santa is adorable,” he declared as he put down the stockings and licked his lips. “You’re far too smug when you know you’re right, by the way. It’s really quite sexy in an infuriating way. By the way, since we’re being honest and have transitioned to first names, which is really good as I have no intention of hearing you scream out ‘Zabini’ as I make you come repeatedly, did it work?”

“It might have,” she said thoughtfully as she gave him a look that confirmed his seduction had been quite successful indeed. She stood up and began to put everything back in the box, though she did toss the gag into the rubbish as she gave him a pointed ‘I don’t think so, mister’ look.

His eyes narrowed as she walked around the desk and he groaned when she straddled his lap. It seemed the seduction had worked on him, too, she realized as she felt his arousal pressed against her. She felt rather confident as she leaned forward to whisper against his ear, “I think the stockings will look much better around your wrists, Blaise,” before his fingers tangled in her hair and they finally kissed.

The End


End file.
